Thiefproof cap for tanks



May 26, 1942. E. J. SULLIVAN THIEF-PROOF CAP FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 12, 1938 INVE TOR ATTORNEYS Y Patente-d May 26, 1942 y L l THIEFPROF CAPFOR-TANIS i Edward J. Sullivan, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner' to 'l-Star Corporation poration of California Hollywood, Calif., a corg Application September 12, 19.38, Seriai No. 229,434

(Cl. ZZO-S) 5 Claims.

y'This invention relates to a'closurefor a tank, to prevent theft of liquid from the tank. While the invention can be applied as a closure for a tank for any purpose, it is intended to beused especially as a closure for the fuel tanks of au- 5 all of which contribute to produce Van efcien tomobiles. thief-proof cap for tanks.

It is a well known fact that many thefts oi A preferred embodiment of the invention is` gasoline from tanks of automobiles, occur. described in the following Specification, while the An object of the present invention is to probroad scope of the invention is pointed out in theA vide a closure for such tanks, which can be subl appended claims. v stituted for the ordinary closure, and which will In the drawing: operate to prevent the removal of lliquid from Fig. 1 is a perspective showing a portion of the tank, but which will not prevent the free pasthe rear end of an automobile indicating a type sage of liquid into the tank when filling the of tank such as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, to .Y same. l5 which one embodiment of my invention can be The preferred embodiment of the invention readily applied. Y j involves the use of a sleeve that is inserted and Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the secured in the neck of the tank, and in Supplytank, illustratedl in Fig. 1, and showing oneof ing liquid to the tank it is permitted to flow my devices partially in elevation and partially in through this sleeve. In employing Such a in Section, in the act 0f being insertedln they practice, there is considerable danger of regurginecktation of the liquid through the sleeve. one of Fig. 3 is a View Similar to Fig. 2, but reprethe objects of this invention is to provide a con- Senlis the Deck and the dSVi'Ce'COmDletely in SeC- struction, which will avoid such regurgitation tion, and with the cover or closure of the device and spilling of liquid that otherwise might occur in its 610566. POSitiOn. in lling the tank. u Fig. l is a horizontal section taken about on Fuel tanks such as referred to above, are usually the line 4 4 0f Fg- 3, and Palifiulallyillustiatprovided with a neck that projects outwardly or ing the means ,that I prefer t0 emDlOy fOr Dreupwardly from the upper wall of the tank, and venting the passing of a tube down into the tank these necks are practically always provided with t0 Teach the liquid Within the Same. an inwardly projecting flange that cooperates In Diaiing the inVeIltiOn, I DTOVide an inner with the ordinary removable cap to secure the Cap JG0 Seat 011 the end Of the Heck, and this Cap cap in place, The diameters of necks of djiferhas a sleeve that extends down into the neck. ent tanks vary considerably, although the pres- This SleeVe S Constructed ai' its IOWer end in Such ence of the inwardly and downwardly turned 35.21 Way as to permit paSSage Of liquid downwardly ange on these necks is practically universal. for mung the tank but Operating as a bar t0 Dre- One of the objects of this invention is to provide Vent a tube fr om being passed down through the a device of this kind, having a construction which Sleeve' Assoclaed with the Sleeve I providean will enable it to be used practically universally expanslble. locking means or member having on tanks having a great range of diameters at 40 means for engagmg ungerthe flange of the neck; their necks; in other words, to provide a theifand also assocla'ted Wm? the sleeve 1 .provlde a proof cap which can be applied to substantially rotary member for effectmg the expanslon 0f the expanslble member to lock the same under the any dlametei 0f neckflange. This construction can be applied to ver- In general there are tWO types. 0f neck? 0n 45 tical-necked tanks, or to a tank having a goosetanks of thls kind, one of which 1s a relatively neck; but in practice, I prefer to make a slight short neck projecting upwardly in an accessible variation in the details of construction particuposition, and this type of neck is found where larly adapting the same to each type of neck, the upper wall of the tank is in an accessible although the invention is generically present in or exposed position. There is, however, another each embodiment of the invention. style of tank neck in which the neck is curved In Figs. 1 to 4, the embodiment of the invenor of goose-neck type. One of the objects of `tion as illustrated, is particularly adapted to be this invention is to provide a construction for used where the tank I of the car has a substanthe device, enabling it to be applied to either tially vertical neck 2. In applying my Vinvention of these types 0f necks., 55 I provide an inner cap 3 preferably of somerigid Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel partsland combination of parts to be described hereinafter,

`back of the flange.

`material such Yas metal, and carrying a sleeve 4 projecting downwardly from the same into the neck 2. The cap 3 is preferably made integral with the sleeve. AUnder the cap I prefer to provide a relatively soft gasket or cushion inl the` form of a disc 5 that seatson the upper endfE j of the neck 2. In the present instance the neck 2 is illustrated as having its end face or end Ii` constructed so Vas to present an annular. seat be-V yond which the material is bent downwardly to form a downwardly projecting ange 1. In practice, a ange such as the flange 1, is usually provided with a cam edge 8 or some other means -ably rotatably mounted on the sleeve, the movement of which will operate to expand the ex-A with a radial slot or passage 23 formed in the upper gasket 2 I; and in practice, the upper gasket is of slightly larger diameter than the inner cap 3, so as to insure that an outlet 24 will be formed that is always open to the atmosphere.

If desired, means may be provided for `latch-- ing the cover I9 in its closed position. In order to accomplish this, and also to provide for centering the upper gasket 2|, the cover may be provided with a downwardly projecting deep boss or hub 25, and in this boss a ball 26 may be pansible member and-lock-it securely rv'under orV In" the present instance, the expansible member 9, as'illustrated in Fig. 3, is of substantially `V-form, so that it presents two forks or fingers I0 that extend upwardly and diverge from each other i'n an upward direction.` These iingers or forks are preferably suiiicientlyresilient to enable them to-be contracted when they pass the inner face of theflange 1, and are Y preferably suicientlyres'ilient to enable them to expand afterwards in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. At a considerable depth within the sleeve 4,-and preferably at its lower end, I provide a grill Il preferably consisting of twol bars I2 disposed substantially at right angles to each other and surmounted by angle-form bars I3 (see Fig. 4) which are preferablycast integral with the lower bars I2. At the intersection of the bars I2, a hub is formed to receive a screw I4. This screw passes down through this hub and is threaded through an opening I5 in the body of the expansible member 9. Afterputting this screw `I4 in place, I prefer to upset its end to form an enlarged collar I6 that will prevent the screw from being removed. Y

With this construction it will be evident that if the screw is tightened up by means of a screwf upper end of the sleeve, the forks or ngers lil can be caused to jam themselves securely back of the ange 1.

However, in order to facilitate-this operation, I prefer to provide the lower end of the sleeve 4 with two oppositely inclined guide faces I1 against which the inner faces of the forks rest, and below these faces I1 the tapered lower end of the sleeve is formed with slotsr I8v of slightly greater width than the'forks I0. While this is not essential, it gives greater freedom ofmovement of the body of the expander 9, and facilitates the act of locking it within the neck.

The device preferably includes a movable or Y 5 with a port 22, and this port communicates l75- seated within a drilled opening 21 carrying a light coil spring 28 to Aurge the ball outwardly. This ball is held in place by peening theedge of the bore 21 to a slightly smaller diameter than l the ball. When the cover is closed, this'ball snaps into a small annular groove 29 formed in the inner face of the sleeve 4.

If desired, the upper side of the cover can carry a name plate 30 carrying legends of any kind. This name plate 30 may be provided with a stem 3| passing downwardly in the opening in the center of the cap and secured in place by a nut 32 seating againstA the under side of the boss 25. This enables the name plate to be adjusted so as to be right side up, for reading letters or symbols'on it.

In filling a tank through a sleeve such as the sleeve 4, if the gasoline iiowing in, substantially Iills` the cross-section of the sleeve, there isno way for air within the tank to escape in suflicient quantity to permit` the liquid to flow in freely. This air trapped within the tank would tend to blow' out through the sleeve and may tend to Yproduce a regurgitation of the liquid, and some times cause it to flow out from the neck. In order to overcome this diiculty, I prefer to provide the upper end of the neck near the cap 3, with one or more air vents 33. These vents open communication between the interior of the tankand the interior of the neck, at a point elevated above a point where the liquid flows from the inserted nozzle of the lling hose; and, of course, these vents should be of'sucient area to permit the air to `pass out in such quantity to prevent this regurgitation.

In using my invention, it will be evident thaI the naine plate 30 can carry'monograms or the distinctive symbol of a gasoline company, or of the automobile company that manufactured the car.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and

vI do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in the claims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

1. In a thief-proof tank cap for a liquid tank having a neck with an inner flange, the combination'of an inner cap to seat onthe end of the neck and having a sleeve extending down into the necksaid sleeve constructed at its lower end in the forml of a grill to permit passage of liquid downwardly for filling the tank but operating as a bar to prevent a tube from being passed down through the sleeve, an expansible locking member having upwardly extending fingers formed of iexible material capable of exing inwardly to pass the flange of the neck; the ends of said fingers operating to engage the under side of the iiange; and a rotatable member witha thread connection operatively connecting the same to the sleeve and to the fingers for drawing the expansible locking member upwardly in the neck to force the ngers vagainst the flange, thereby effecting the expansion of the expansible members to lockkthe same under the flange.

2. In a thief-proof tank cap for a liquid tank having a neck with an inner flange, the combination of an inner cap to seat on the end of the neck and having a sleeve extending down into the neck, said sleeve constructed at its lower exible members against the under side ofy the flange to eiTect the expansion of the expansible member and lockthe same against the under side of the flange.

end in the form of a grill to permit passage of liquid downwardly for filling the tank but operating as a bar to prevent a tube from being passed down through the sleeve, an expansible locking member having upwardly extending fingers formed of flexible material capable of flexing inwardly to pass the flange of the neck; the ends of said ngers operating to engage the under side of the flange; and a rotatable member with a thread connection operatively connecting the same to the sleeve and to the ngers for drawing the expansible locking member upwardly in the neck to force the ngers against the ange, thereby eiecting the expansion of the expansible members to lock the same under the flange, said sleeve having a vent through the Wall thereof adjacent the cap for the escape of air up the sleeve when the tank is being lled, and

operating to prevent. regurgitation of liquid up- Wardly through the sleeve.

3. In a thief-proof tank cap for a liquid tank having a neck with an inner flange, the combination of an inner cap to seat on the end of the neck and having a sleeve extending down into the neck, said sleeve constructed at its lower end to permit passage of liquid downwardly for lling the tank but operating as a bar to prevent a tube from being passed down through the sleeve, an expansible locking member having yielding flexiblemembers for engaging the under side oi the flange of the neck, and a rotary member having a 'thread connection to the sleeve, located at a depth within the sleeve and capable of being rotated by a tool inserted through the mouth of the sleeve, to force the ends of the 4. In a thief-proof tank cap for a liquid tank, having a neck with an inner liange, the combination of an inner cap to seat on the end of the neck, and having a sleeve extending down into the neck, said sleeve having grill work at its lower end to permit passage of liquid downwardly for filling the tank, but operating as a bar to prevent a tube from being passed down through the sleevev to reach liquid within the tank, an expansible locking-member with upwardly extending ngers adapted to engage against the under side of the ange, a threaded member having a thread connection to the sleeve mounted at a depth in the sleeve, rotatable in the sleeve and engaging the said expansible memberV to force the same upwardly and hold the ends of said fingers securely against the under side of the flange.

5. In a thief-proof tank cap for a liquid tank, having a neck with an inner flange, the combination of an'inner cap to seat on the end of the neck, and having a sleeve extending down into the neck, said sleeve having grill work at its lower end to permit passage of liquid downwardly for filling the tank, but operating as a bar to prevent a tube from being passed down through the sleeve to reach liquid Within the tank, an expansible locking-member with upwardly extending ngers adapted to engage under the ange, a threaded member mounted at a depth in the sleeve, rotatable in the sleeve and engaging the said expansible member to force the same upwardly and hold the ends of said fingers securely under the ange, the lower end of said sleeve having a seat engaging said expansible member and cooperating with the rotatable member to facilitate the expanding movement.

EDWARD J. SULLIVAN. 

